Frequently, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always-hungry reporter has lunch at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
In Shreveport-Bossier, it seems there’s a Mexican restaurant on every corner.
Now look, I like Mexican food as much as anyone. But there are still a lot of Mexican restaurants I haven’t tried. Yes, I know most of their food tastes the same, but you never know when you will find a place which stands out.
With that in mind, on a recent Tuesday, I invited a friend to join me for lunch at El Potrillo Mexican Restaurant Grill & Cantina (2400 E. 70th Street, Shreveport). It would be a first visit for both of us.
We arrived at noon, and my initial thought was, “Are they open?” The parking lot was empty, save for a handful of cars which could have belonged to the employees. If you go to a restaurant at noon, you expect it to be somewhat busy, unless the food isn’t good.
El Potrillo was, in fact, open. We walked in and saw no more than 10 other customers. That meant my friend and I had plenty of choices when it came to seating. There was a large dining area to the right, and a smaller area to the left. In between was a bar area, with seating at the bar, as well as tables close by.
We chose to eat in the smaller room. Right away, I noticed it was light and colorful. The outside wall had several windows, allowing sunlight to brighten the area, and let diners see the outside world. Something else I noticed early on. The building, tables, and just about everything else appeared old. If you’re looking for a really nice, modern atmosphere, there are other Mexican restaurants which you will find more appealing. But in a way, El Potrillo’s worn look enhanced its feel as a comfortable, very relaxed place to eat.
You can often (but not in this case) tell a Mexican restaurant by its chips and salsa. El Potrillo’s chips were baked just right – not too crispy, and not too soggy. Also, I didn’t see a hint of grease. The salsa was a tad better than bland but could have had more kick. We ordered a small bowl of guacamole ($8), which was thick, and did have a little something to it.
El Potrillo’s menu is extensive, with the usual suspects, such as enchiladas, tacos, and fajitas. But there are also House Specials and Chef Specials, as well as Seafood and Chicken Dishes. But since my friend and I were there for lunch, we focused our attention on the Lunch Specials section. From 11am-3pm every day, you can choose from 25 – that’s right, 25 – entrees, with many of them priced between $10-$14.
I ordered the Pechugas a la Plancha ($12), and yes, I pointed to the menu item instead of embarrassing myself by trying to pronounce it. Thank goodness there was a description – a grilled chicken breast served with rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sliced avocados, and my choice of corn or flour tortillas (I chose flour).
My friend chose Lunch Special #7 ($10) – he enunciated his selection– which came with his choice of a beef or chicken burrito (he chose beef), a crispy taco, rice, and beans.
This would be a good place to mention our server, Kayla. She was great. Our water glasses never became more than half-empty. We never went more than a few minutes without being asked if we needed anything. Kayla was also very patient. My friend and I had not seen each other in a while, so we took our time before ordering, while eating, and visiting afterwards. Kayla ensured we never felt rushed.
The presentation of both entrees was impressive. My plate was full of a nice-sized chicken breast, and adequate portions of rice and beans. The chicken breast, while not tough, wasn’t the most tender. It didn’t have much taste, but the chicken breast was juicy, which is always better than dry. The beans were close to ice cold, while the rice was only a tad warmer.
My friend said his eyes “got really excited” when he saw his plate. He thought it had a lot of food for $10. But quantity doesn’t always equal quality. After one bite of the burrito, he was disappointed, saying it didn’t have much flavor. However, at his request, Kayla brought my friend some type of hot sauce. He put that on the burrito and said it “made a big difference.” As for the taco, my friend said, too, needed “a little more flavor.”
If after eating you’re still hungry, El Potrillo offers four different desserts. However, we passed, having filled up mostly on chips and salsa.
The cost of our meal, before tax and tip, was $30, which included a 3% surcharge for using a credit card. Now, the food wasn’t the best, but these days, $30 for lunch for two people is pretty good.
I’m giving El Potrillo Three Forks. There was nothing wrong with our visit. The atmosphere and food were satisfactory (the service was more than satisfactory), but our experience wasn’t anything special. We both decided we would return but, not go out of our way. And on our next visit, we would order something different.
For me, there are only a couple of Mexican eateries in Shreveport-Bossier which stand out. El Potrillo isn’t one of them.
1 Fork: Would rather eat a box of dirt
2 Forks: Will return, but only if someone else is buying
3 Forks: Will return and look forward to it
4 Forks: Will return and go out of my way to do so
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to visit for lunch?
Email SBJRestaurantReview@gmail.com.
